SAN FRANCISCO Fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby structures and prompting evacuations as firefighters worked to prevent its spread through a San Francisco neighborhood.

City officials said a catastrophe was narrowly avoided in an up-and-coming area near AT&T Park, home of the Giants.

"I think we're very lucky that the fire didn't jump anymore," Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the blaze -- one of the largest in the city in recent years -- was under investigation. Fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers at the block-long site were doing torch work shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

"It's too early to determine a cause at this point," Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Richardson said. "Our arson investigators still have a lot of material they have to look at."

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One of them, Tom Murphy, suffered burns while battling the fire from above but didn't realize he was injured for hours, said firefighter Stephen Maguire, whose crew was among the first to arrive.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings as about 150 firefighters were called to contain it. A wall of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

Firefighters had to take a defensive stance because the building was leaning in some areas, Maguire said.

The blaze cracked windows at Strata at Mission Bay, an apartment building across the street, and sent an ember onto the roof of a University of California, San Francisco building.

Flames briefly spread to scaffolding at another building under construction, Maguire said.

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Investigators look for cause of San Francisco fire

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) Crews on Wednesday afternoon started demolishing the remains of an apartment building that was under construction in San Franciscos Mission Bay neighborhood when it was destroyed in a five-alarm fire Tuesday.

The fire was reported just before 5 p.m. and quickly grew, sending up a dark plume of smoke that could be seen from many parts of the Bay Area. Flames spread and engulfed the building, and there was initial concern that the blaze could spread to other structures.

The flames have since been quelled and water has been poured onto the building overnight and throughout most of the day, according to fire officails.

The blaze has been contained to the building, but nearby buildings, including the Strata at Mission Bay apartments and a building at the University of California at San Francisco Mission Bay campus, were damaged by flying embers, excessive heat and smoke, officials said.

PHOTOS:San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

Deputy Chief Mark Gonzales said this isnt your typical fire, and fire crews will remain at the scene Wednesday evening watching for flare-ups as the demolition proceeds.

The construction company, Suffolk Construction Co., brought in equipment around 3 p.m. to pull apart the gutted building, parts of which were threatening to collapse, Gonzales said.

Fire crews are assisting and ready to put out any smoldering areas deeper into the building, he said.

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Crews Begin Knocking Down Building Damaged In San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS / AP) Fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby structures and prompting evacuations as firefighters worked to prevent its spread through a San Francisco neighborhood.

City officials said a catastrophe was narrowly avoided in an up-and-coming area near AT&T Park, home of the Giants.

I think were very lucky that the fire didnt jump anymore, Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the blazeone of the largest in the city in recent yearswas under investigation. Fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers at the block-long site were doing torch work shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

Its too early to determine a cause at this point, Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Richardson said. Our arson investigators still have a lot of material they have to look at.

PHOTOS:San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One of them, Tom Murphy, suffered burns while battling the fire from above but didnt realize he was injured for hours, said firefighter Stephen Maguire, whose crew was among the first to arrive.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings as about 150 firefighters were called to contain it. A wall of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

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Welding Possible Cause Of San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

By TERRY COLLINS and SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

A fire burned in a building under construction in San Francisco's China Basin on March 12, 2014. (Courtesy KGO-TV)

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby buildings, prompting evacuations and forcing officials to call in about half the city's on-duty firefighters to prevent its spread.

As fire crews doused hotspots in the charred remains of the block-long apartment complex, city officials said they narrowly avoided a catastrophe in an up-and-coming neighborhood near the San Francisco Giants ballpark.

"I think we're very lucky that the fire didn't jump anymore," Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the fire -- one of the city's largest in recent years -- was under investigation. But fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers were doing torch work at the site shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings, as about 150 firefighters were called in to contain it. One of the walls of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

"We were hoping that we could contain it as quickly as possible," said firefighter Stephen Maguire, whose crew was among the first to arrive at the scene.

Firefighters had to take a defensive stance because the building was leaning in some areas, he said.

The blaze cracked windows on an apartment building, Strata at Mission Bay, across the street and sent an ember onto the roof of a University of California, San Francisco building in the neighborhood. It also briefly spread to scaffolding at another building under construction, Maguire said.

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Welding possible cause of massive San Francisco fire

(03-12) 09:52 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Hundreds of Mission Bay apartment dwellers chased from their homes by a huge fire at a building under construction are fortunate to have homes to return to, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said Wednesday as firefighters put out hot spots and sought to determine whether welders caused the blaze.

"We're very lucky" that firefighters were able to contain the five-alarm blaze to the building that burned at Fourth and China Basin streets Tuesday, Lee said as firefighters sprayed water on the remains of the six-story, 80-foot-tall structure.

The fire broke out about 5 p.m. and quickly consumed the building, an apartment complex being built by Suffolk Construction Co. that was supposed to open late this year. Smoke that billowed thousands of feet into the air was visible around the Bay Area.

The cause of the fire is not known, though Lee, speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning after touring the site, said construction workers had been welding in the area where the fire is thought to have started.

"It appears that the fire started above ground," Lee said. "They were doing some welding. We don't know what occurred there. I'll be very patient to wait until the investigation is concluded by our Fire Department and by the contractors themselves."

Most of the workers had left for the day before the blaze began, and investigators suspect that the fire could have smoldered for some time before erupting, said Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.

The chief said the fire had presented "unique challenges," because the building's sprinklers and other fire-suppression systems had not yet been installed. Half of the Fire Department's on-duty firefighters battled the blaze, she said.

"Our objective last night was to contain the fire to the building of origin," Hayes-White said. "Crews did a phenomenal job."

Lee added, "People will say the city responded well, and our Fire Department deserves some kudos on this."

Blowing embers did briefly ignite a small fire on the roof of a UCSF building about a block away. That fire was quickly put out by building maintenance workers.

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Firefighters still dousing building's remains after blaze

San Francisco --

A fast-moving fire that consumed a large apartment building under construction in San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood burned into the night Tuesday, but firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby structures.

The five-alarm fire engulfed the building on Fourth Street near China Basin Street just before 5 p.m., sending black smoke thousands of feet into the sky. Scaffolding melted as chunks of the six-story, 80-foot-tall building fell away. Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White called it the city's largest blaze in several years.

Fire officials said the structure was likely to collapse.

"The open construction of the building allowed for rapid fire spread," said fire Capt. Matthew McNaughton, adding that investigators have not determined what started the blaze.

Nearby buildings were evacuated as more than 150 firefighters battled the flames, using about 90 fire trucks and other apparatuses. The roof of UCSF's Mission Bay research building, a block away, briefly caught fire, but it was quickly put out, McNaughton said.

One firefighter suffered minor burns, he said, but there were no other injuries.

The smoke "was like a huge mushroom cloud. It was as high as a plane," said Gary "Slim" Forte, 38, who was among a large crowd of locals watching the fire. "It looked like somebody blew a nuclear weapon."

Several dozen residents were evacuated from the Strata apartment building across Fourth Street from the construction site, and about 25 were gathered late Tuesday at an American Red Cross evacuation center at Pier 54.

Firefighters still had not contained the blaze by 10:15 p.m. McNaughton said he expected crews to remain on scene until the morning. "We have a center core that looks like a volcano," he said.

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Huge San Francisco fire destroys six-story apartment project

SAN FRANCISCOSan Francisco fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby buildings, prompting evacuations and forcing officials to call in about half the city's on-duty firefighters to prevent its spread.

As fire crews doused hotspots in the charred remains of the block-long apartment complex, city officials said they narrowly avoided a catastrophe in an up-and-coming neighborhood near the San Francisco Giants ballpark.

"I think we're very lucky that the fire didn't jump anymore," Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the fireone of the city's largest in recent yearswas under investigation, but fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers were doing torch work at the site shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings, as more than 150 firefighters were called in to contain it. One of the walls of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

The blaze also cracked windows on an apartment building, Strata at Mission Bay, across the street and sent an ember onto the roof of a University of California, San Francisco building in the neighborhood. Two firefighter suffered minor injuries.

The fire was fueled by wood frames and other materials at the site, Hayes-White said. Since it was under construction, the building also had no fire suppression systems.

"Our objective last night, which we were able to achieve, was to contain (the fire) to the building of origin," she said.

Fire officials did not have an exact estimate on the damage on Wednesday, but said the entire six-story building was considered a loss.

The Strata apartment building remained evacuated on Wednesday.

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Mayor: Welding at site of big San Francisco blaze

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SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) It was a long night for San Francisco firefighters who remained at the scene early Wednesday and continued to pour water on the firein Mission Bay that destroyed a large under-construction apartment building Tuesday evening.

The project on the west side of Fourth Street between China Basin and Mission Rock, near AT&T Park, is expected to be a total loss. Officials said the structure would likely fully collapse on its own, but a contractor has been called in to develop a plan to safely take down the building. There is no timeline for that project, and a perimeter will be kept up around the building indefinitely.

On Wednesday, occasional flames were visible through a fine curtain of mist created by the water blowing in wind along with falling debris and shards of glass on Fourth Street.

San Francisco Deputy Fire Chief Mark Gonzales said the building had partially collapsed on itself, but that there was concern about the scaffolding on the outside coming down as well. Some residents in surrounding buildings were still under evacuation orders because those buildings do not have fire protection in them. An estimated 30 units will be uninhabitable for an indefinite amount of time.

PHOTOS: San Francisco Mission Bay Fire

Some of those buildings on the Fourth Street, their exterior sprinklers were activated during the fire, so we cant get in there to replace them, Gonzalez said. A lot fire protection is off in those buildings.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said at a news conference at the scene Wednesday morning that the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but noted that it started above ground.

They were doing some welding, we dont know what occurred there, Lee said.

Link:
Mission Bay Inferno Leaves San Francisco Apartment Complex Project As Total Loss

By TERRY COLLINS and SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby buildings, prompting evacuations and forcing officials to call in about half the city's on-duty firefighters to prevent its spread.

As fire crews doused hotspots in the charred remains of the block-long apartment complex, city officials said they narrowly avoided a catastrophe in an up-and-coming neighborhood near the San Francisco Giants ballpark.

"I think we're very lucky that the fire didn't jump anymore," Mayor Ed Lee said.

The exact cause of the fire - one of the city's largest in recent years - was under investigation, but fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers were doing torch work at the site shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.

The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings, as more than 150 firefighters were called in to contain it. One of the walls of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

The blaze also cracked windows on an apartment building, Strata at Mission Bay, across the street and sent an ember onto the roof of a University of California, San Francisco building in the neighborhood. Two firefighter suffered minor injuries.

The fire was fueled by wood frames and other materials at the site, Hayes-White said. Since it was under construction, the building also had no fire suppression systems.

"Our objective last night, which we were able to achieve, was to contain (the fire) to the building of origin," she said.

Fire officials did not have an exact estimate on the damage on Wednesday, but said the entire six-story building was considered a loss.

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Welding possible cause of San Francisco fire - Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois & Missouri News, Sports

A five-alarm fire that destroyed an apartment building under construction in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood on Tuesday is not yet under control this morning.

Firefighters are continuing to put water on the blaze, which burned at a construction site at Fourth and China Basin streets, but flames are no longer visible.

The neighborhood smells of smoke, and water is cascading down the sides of the gutted building and running onto Fourth Street.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said at a news conference at the scene this morning that the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but noted that it started above ground.

"They were doing some welding, we don't know what occurred there," Lee said.

The building that burned was part of a development project by BRE Properties known as MB360. Company officials released a statement Tuesday saying that the building was known as Block 5, which contained 172 units under construction.

Lee identified the contractor as Suffolk Construction Co. He said a sprinkler system was being installed at the site but was not yet operational at the time the fire started.

The blaze was reported shortly before 5 p.m. and grew quickly, sending up a dark plume of smoke that could be seen from many parts of the Bay Area. Flames spread and engulfed the building, and there was initial concern that the blaze could spread to other structures.

Nearby apartments were evacuated, and heat from the flames shattered a number of windows of neighboring buildings.

"I think we're very lucky that the fire didn't jump any more," the mayor said.

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Welding was being done at San Francisco building destroyed by 5-alarm fire